Originally published September 8 2005
Cadmium content of Coke refuse causes plant shutdown in India
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A Coca Cola plant in Kerala, India was closed down by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, which asked Coca Cola Beverages Limited to clarify the reason that the plant's sludge discharge contained levels of cadmium that was 600 percent over the acceptable limit.
Soft drink major Coca Cola has been asked to close down one of its plants in Kerala's Pallakad District after excess Cadmium contents were detected in its sludge discharge.
The closure order was issued by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board which had sought clarification from Coca Cola Beverages Limited on the source of excess Cadmium, at times 600 percent above than the permissible limit.
"In the waste water treatment sludges we have found contents of Cadmium abnormally high.
So, there is something which they are using in the raw materials," said G Raja Mohan, the President of Kerala State Pollution Control Board.
The board also pointed out that the plant had also not complied with the Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee's instructions to install a reverse osmosis system for effluent treatment.
"For the treatment of water we had suggested reverse osmosis or something similar.
The plant had been in the eye of a storm with local groups blaming the company for depleting groundwater sources in the area and causing pollution with the discharge of sludge containing heavy metals.
Earlier this month, over 1,500 people rallied against a proposal to set up a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Gangaikondan village in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli District.
Communities from across Tamil Nadu converged in Gangaikondan to oppose a proposal by the South India Bottling Company Private Limited (SIBCL) - a Coca-Cola franchisee - to set up a 6.5 million dollar soft-drinks unit in the village.
Water scarcity is a common problem in the region, and a broad based movement has emerged to stop the Coca-Cola plant from coming up - insisting that a bottling plant will further exacerbate water scarcity in the area.
Community representatives from Plachimada and Sivagangai, sites of two successful campaigns against Coca-Cola in India, were also present at the rally, and a delegation from Gangaikondan had visited Plachimada in early August.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml